Title
PLN16-0383 - Certificate of Approval - 2300 Monarch Street (Bldgs 614 and 405). Applicant: City of Alameda. Public hearing to consider a Certificate of Approval to relocate and reuse three (3) Quonset Huts from the Northwest Territory at Alameda Point to 2300 Monarch Street as part of a retrofit to Buildings 614 and 405 (non-contributing structures) in the NAS Alameda Historic District. The environmental effects of the proposed project were considered in the Alameda Point Environmental Impact Report. No further environmental review is required.
Body
To: Honorable Chair and
Members of the Historical Advisory Board
From: Allen Tai, Secretary to the Historical Advisory Board
BACKGROUND
The City of Alameda proposes to relocate three Quonset huts from their existing location in the Northwest Territory at Alameda Point to 2300 Monarch Street, which is at the intersection of Monarch Street (“Spirits Alley”) and West Tower Avenue in the NAS Alameda Historic District. The relocated Quonset huts will be retrofitted together with Buildings 614 and 405 to create a manufacturing and food service “village” for a future wine/cider manufacturing tenant.
Pursuant to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the HAB shall approve a Certificate of Approval for alterations and improvements to historic resources. The requirement for a Certificate of Approval stems from the fact that the Quonset huts will be relocated into the Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda Historic District. Staff is recommending that the Historical Advisory Board (HAB) hold a public hearing and approve a Certificate of Approval for the Project.
DISCUSSION
Quonset Hut Background:
The former Naval Air Station at Alameda Point features about two dozen Quonset Huts, which are lightweight prefabricated structures characterized by a semicircular cross-section. Quonset huts were first designed and used in military installations. In fact, the name "Quonset" comes from the Quonset Point Naval Station in Rhode Island where the first huts were built. Quonset Huts come in ten different types. Their differences are predicated on many variables, including: manufacturer and method of construction, dimensions, generation, outer curvature, and type and location of openings. While the basic form remained the same their detailing was markedly different. The small-scale and rounded shape distinguishes these structures from the inventory of buildings of much larger size and more rectilinear geometries.
The Quonset Huts located throughout Alameda Point share the same construction technology. The manufacturing company that produced them is ARMCO International Corporation of Middletown, Ohio. Their standard dimension is 20'x50' and are clad in heavy gauge steel. At the former NAS Alameda, these huts sat on concrete curbs and were scattered around the base in no particular order.
Proposed Relocation and Improvements:
The three Quonset Huts to be relocated are in the Northwest Territory at Alameda Point and are not currently located within the NAS Alameda Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. However, the proposed location where the Quonset Huts are to be relocated to is within the NAS Alameda Historic District. There are existing structures at 2300 Monarch Street, listed as buildings 614 and 405. The Quonset Huts and buildings 614 and 405 are non-contributing structures to the historic district, which means these structures do not add to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district significant.
The relocated Quonset huts will be reused in conjunction with Buildings 614 and 405 for a wine and cider production/tasting village. It is proposed that the exterior of the Quonset huts will be rehabilitated, with limited modifications to accommodate the proposed new use of the building but the basic geometry and scale of the structures are to remain unchanged (Exhibit 1). Any modifications to the exterior building skin would be to enhance the functionality of each hut with their new use. The structural configuration of the three Quonset Huts will be retained. Once the Quonset Huts are relocated to the project site, the proposed layout of the Quonset Huts will be in a “campus style,” which will be consistent with how the Quonset Huts have been historically utilized.
The project will also conform to the Paint Guidelines for Existing Buildings in the NAS Alameda Historic District, which was adopted by the HAB on May 7, 2015. Both the Quonset huts and Buildings 614 & 405 will use the same base colors for exterior walls (“Nebulous White”), hanger and window sashes (“Rave Red”), and pedestal and indented termination (“Argos”).
Findings and Conclusions:
An analysis of this project was prepared by architectural historian Pierluigi Serraino to review the project for compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (1997), which is a requirement in order for HAB to approve a Certificate of Approval (Exhibit 2). The analysis also includes a review of two other sets standards and guidelines that apply to projects at Alameda Point, including the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes (1996) and the Guide to Preserving the Character of the Naval Air Station Alameda Historic District (1997). In conclusion, staff finds that the proposed project is consistent with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards, as follows:
1. Rehabilitation Standard 1: A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment. The three Quonset Huts are to remain unchanged in geometry and scale. Modifications to the building skins, where occurring, pertain to where the openings would be to enhance the functionality of each hut for its new use. The proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 1.
2. Rehabilitation Standard 2: The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided. The structural configuration of the three Quonset Huts is to be retained. They are currently rusted shells with no interior components. Corrugated metal cladding is to be restored to maintain the patina, while securing a longer life cycle for the individual building components. The proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 2.
3. Rehabilitation Standard 3: Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken. No design elements in the proposed scheme are suggestive of being authentic to the period. The three huts are part of larger composition that connects both functionally and architecturally the single buildings into a harmonic whole. The proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 3.
4. Rehabilitation Standard 4: Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved. The three Quonset Huts have retained the original character. No changes are detectable upon site observation. The structural integrity of these huts is preserved in their new location. The proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 4.
5. Rehabilitation Standard 5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved. Severe rusting of the metal cladding requires extensive restoration of the affected surfaces due to decades-long exposure to the aggressive marine environment. When restoration is not technically feasible, a compatible cladding component, integrated to the original structure, yet legible from the outside as a contemporary material layer different from the old will be provided. The proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 5.
6. Rehabilitation Standard 6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.
The marine environment has affected negatively in particular the fastenings tying together the individual building components. Parts of the cladding panels have rusted away. Where required the replacement is to match the existing structure. The proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 6.
7. Rehabilitation Standard 7: Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
Not Applicable.
8. Rehabilitation Standard 8: Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
Not Applicable.
9. Rehabilitation Standard 9: New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
The adaptive reuse capitalizes on the integrity of the three Quonset Huts. Connecting elements between the huts and Buildings 405 and 614 are subservient to the dominant image of those huts. The proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 9.
10. Rehabilitation Standard 10: New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired. All additions envisioned in the new design are conceived with lightweight material and dry technology. No new element affects the architectural integrity of the three Quonset Huts. The proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 10.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On February 4, 2014, the City of Alameda certified the Alameda Point Final EIR (State Clearinghouse No. 201312043) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Final EIR evaluated the environmental impacts of redevelopment and reuse of the lands at Alameda Point. No further review is required for this review of the project designs.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a Public Hearing and approve a Certificate of Approval to allow the relocation of three Quonset huts to 2300 Monarch Street per findings in the Draft Resolution (Exhibit 3).
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Northam, Administrative Technician I
Exhibits:
1. Project Design Concepts
2. Serraino, Pierluigi: Quonset Hut Historic Resource Evaluation and Relocation Project Report
3. Draft Resolution